Electrical connectors often are used in mating pairs or assemblies which include a male or plug connector mateable with a female or receptacle connector. Of course, a single connector often is used with a mating electrical device which may be part of a chassis, for instance. Electrical terminals are mounted within the connectors or mating devices for interconnection in mated condition. In some applications, the frictional engagement between the male and female connectors are relied upon for maintaining a secured relation of the connectors in their mated condition.
However, frictional engagements between mating connectors usually are unsatisfactory when the connectors are used in various environments or applications where shock, vibration or acceleration can cause the connectors to separate, such as in appliances having vibrating motors or other components. Therefore, connectors have been designed for such applications to include various latching systems. In order to unmate the connectors, the latching systems most often are designed in one form or another so that they are releasable.
One common type of releasable latching system incorporates one or more levers or latch arms which project from one connector into latching engagement with a second connector or connecting device. The connectors, themselves, most often include a dielectric housing, such as a unitarily molded plastic housing, and the levers or latch arms usually are molded as integral, flexible components projecting from the housing and snap-latchingly engageable with latch bosses or other portions on the mating connector. A typical releasable latching system has a latch arm located on an outside wall of one connector, with a hooked latch portion on a rearward distal end of the latch arm for engaging a latch boss or shoulder on the mating connector. By providing the latch arms alongside an outside wall of the connector, a compact package is provided, and the latch arm is releasable simply by pulling the arm outwardly of the connector housing to release its interengagement with the latch boss of the mating connector.
Problems are encountered with releasable latching systems as described above, particularly the latch arm type systems, when the connectors are used in crowded environments. Often, there simply is insufficient room to gain access to the latch arms from the outside of the connectors in order to release the latching interengagement of the arms. For instance, the connectors may be used within chassis wherein panels or walls of the chassis bound the connectors and an operator's fingers or a tool cannot be manipulated to release the latching arms. Or, a plurality of connectors may be used on a panel in a close side-by-side array, and, again, insufficient room is provided between the connectors to gain access to the latch arms for releasing the same.
This invention is directed to solving the problems described above and satisfying the need for a simple, inexpensive means for affording access to a releasable latching system of the character described.